In a major development, the State Government on Saturday succeeded in breaking the deadlock with agitating non-Government college lecturers putting days of apprehension of students and parents over valuation of Plus II answer-sheets to an end. The teachers would join the valuation process from Sunday.
Finding that the alternative arrangements for valuation of answer-sheets by other teachers (Navodaya, Central School, private engineering colleges) may lead to further trouble, Higher Education Minister Pradeep Panigrahy convened a meeting of the 662, 488 Category college teachers and Non-Government College lecturers’ and Employees’ Coordination Committee at his residence which was attended by Energy Minister and Inter-Ministerial Committee member Pranab Prakash Das.
“A meeting of the Inter-Ministerial Committee headed by Finance Minister Pradip Amat will be held on April 24 and the demands of the teachers will be discussed there elaborately,” said Minister Panigrahy. Non-Government College lecturers’ and Employees’ Coordination Committee general secretary Ajay Kumar Samal said the meeting discussed on a four-point charter of demands.
“The Government has agreed to promote teachers getting State scale to Reader State scale after 23 years of service instead of 27. Rest of the demands, among others the abolition of Block Grant system, will be discussed at the Inter-Ministerial Committee meeting on April 24,” said Samal.
Hence, keeping the request of the Government and the future of students in mind, we called off our agitation, said Samal. On Saturday, the State Government had engaged teachers of Navodaya Vidyalays, Central schools, private engineering colleges inviting criticism from opposition Congress and BJP.
Notably, the joint teachers’ associations had boycotted the Plus II evaluation since April 4 protesting the non-fulfilment of their demands.